The Bible often gives people names that don’t seem to fit, at least at first. Peter is called “the Rock," an ironic name for the rash and flighty disciple. The divided and messy church of Corinth is named “saints.” Names and promises are spoken that outrun present reality. These moments can feel ironic, even biting, but Scripture treats them as signs that God’s work is still unfolding.
Biblical irony is not sarcasm or condemnation, but evidence that God continues to act within unfinished lives, communities, and history itself. Drawing from the Gospel of John, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the prophet Isaiah, and the witness of Martin Luther King Jr., we are called to reflect this Sunday on what faithful action looks like when outcomes are uncertain and meaning is still being written.
Rather than freezing people or communities in fear of contradiction, biblical irony marks a willingness to act before everything is resolved, and to keep following, keep gathering, and keep trusting that God’s promises are larger than the present moment and that the story is not yet complete.
